Cole ClaassenDean Dillon wrote over 30 #1 hit songs for the biggest artists in country music over the past four decades, yet most have never heard his name. George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Lee Ann Womack, Brooks and Dunn, Pam Tillis, Robert Earl Keen and the list goes on. Oh, and that song by Chris Stapleton, Tennessee Whiskey, yeah he wrote that too. Considered by many to be the last troubadour of songwriters, Dean is back on the road singing his songs and telling his stories in honky tonks and bars, stories behind the song that played when you had your first kiss, the first dance at your wedding, the one on the radio when your child was conceived. A legend in Nashville, yet relatively unknown outside of music city, Dean finally comes out of the shadows and shares his music, his life, and the stories behind the hits in this honest film about a man responsible for songs that shaped an era and helped to create some of music’s biggest rock stars.
Jon M. ChuJustin Bieber's odds were a million to one, until millions of fans found him online. Now his world is yours with Never Say Never, the "riveting and inspiring" story of his journey from average teen to the youngest performer to sell out the most famous stage in New York City.
Thomas GibsonGo deep into the underworld of hip-hop groupies and video vixens where sex is the backstage pass and young ladies use their bodies as a way to promote themselves and further their own careers. Narrated by top talk radio personality Wendy Williams, KISS AND TAIL: THE HOLLYWOOD JUMP-OFF takes a provocative look at the seedy side of the music business where hip-hop groupies pay a high price to get a taste of the celebrity lifestyle. Hear the real, raw truth about the groupie lifestyle from the scene's biggest stars, including Ja Rule, Big Boi, Akon, Juelz Santana, Twista and more, and get the inside story from one of hip-hop's most notorious femmes, Karrine "Superhead" Steffens. Reenactments show how Karrine sexed her way through the hip-hop world, climbing her way up the ladder before crashing to the bottom. Now a bestselling author, she's still kissing and telling, but the huge stars she allegedly bedded are telling their side of the story.
Sexy IntellectualIn the early 1970s a young guitarist from Austin, Texas began to make his name on the local blues circuit, committed as he was to a musical form many thought outdated. A decade on, that same guitarist became an international superstar. A player of passion, energy and awe-inspiring technical virtuosity, Stevie Ray Vaughan not only brought the blues heritage of his home state to a global audience, he reinvigorated the genre itself, introducing it to a new generation of listeners in the process. This film reveals and dissects the formative years of Stevie Ray Vaughan's CAREER - his influences, his first recordings and the bands with whom he honed his craft - and traces the history of Texas blues itself, identifying Vaughan's place within this larger tradition. It is the journey of both a musical form and the single-minded musician who brought it firmly back into the spotlight after decades of neglect. Featuring rare archive footage, exclusive interviews, contributions from the musicians w
David Van TaylorJust before Christmas 1985, 19-year-old James Vance watched his best friend Ray Belknap shoot himself to death with a .12 gauge shotgun in a churchyard outside Reno, Nevada. Then Vance pulled the trigger on himself. He survived but was severely disfigured. Vance later claimed his actions had been influenced by the heavy metal music of Judas Priest, prompting his family to sue the band. The drama of the ensuing trial provides the framework for David Van Taylor's disturbing look at teenagers today.
Jonathan DemmeAcademy-award winning director Jonathan Demme beautifully captures Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend, Neil Young as he prepares and presents the performance of a lifetime with the help of his wife Peggi and friends country star Emmylou Harris, steel guitarist Ben Keith and more at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.
Le TigreWHO TOOK THE BOMP? LE TIGRE ON TOUR follows iconic feminist band Le Tigre on their 2005 international tour. Le Tigre confronts sexism and homophobia in the music industry while tearing up the stage.
Sebastian Jones & Ramez SilyanMusician Lil Peep was on the verge of mainstream success when he died of a drug overdose at 21 years old. Dubbed the future of emo by Pitchfork, Peep managed to touch countless lives across the world in just a short two years with an innovative mix of punk, emo and trap music. Executive produced by Terrence Malick, Everybody’s Everything explores the meteoric rise of Lil Peep, from recording songs in his bedroom to a worldwide tour, and the unbelievable impact he left from trying to be all things to all people.
Sini AndersonKathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre, rose to national attention as the reluctant but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement. She became one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons, a cultural lightning rod. Her critics wished she would just shut-up, and her fans hoped she never would. So in 2005, when Hanna stopped shouting, many wondered why. Through 20 years of archival footage and intimate interviews with Hanna, THE PUNK SINGER takes viewers on a fascinating tour of contemporary music and offers a never-before-seen view into the life of this fearless leader.
D. A. PennebakerBob Dylan is captured on-screen as he never would be again in this groundbreaking film from D. A. Pennebaker. The legendary documentarian finds Dylan in England during his 1965 tour, which would be his last as an acoustic artist. In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price. Featuring some of Dylan’s most famous songs, including “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” Dont Look Back is a radically conceived portrait of an American icon that has influenced decades of vérité behind-the-scenes documentaries.
Susan DynnerPunk's Not Dead takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, and yes, shopping malls and stadium shows where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive. Thirty years after bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols infamously shocked the system with their hard, fast, status-quo-killing rock, the longest-running punk band in history is drawing bigger crowds than ever, “pop-punk” bands have found success on MTV, and kids too young to drive are forming bands that carry the torch for punk's raw, immediate sound. Meanwhile, “punk” has become a marketing concept to sell everything from cars to vodka, and dyed hair and piercings mark a rite of passage for thousands of kids. Can the true, nonconformist punk spirit still exist in today's corporatized culture? Featuring interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes journeys with the bands, labels, fans, and press who keep punk alive, Punk's Not Dead dares to juxtapose pop-punk's music and lifest
Thom ZimnyWings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run chronicles the definitive story of Bruce Springsteen’s breakthrough album from songwriting to production and beyond. Includes archival film shot between 1973 and 1975 but never shown publicly.
Ron HowardIn 1962 four young men - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - came together to form the 20th century musical phenomenon known as 'The Beatles'. The band stormed Europe in 1963 and, in 1964, they conquered America. Their groundbreaking world tours changed global youth culture forever and, arguably, invented mass entertainment as we know it today. All the while, the group were composing and recording a series of extraordinarily successful singles and albums. However, the relentless pressure of such unprecedented fame (which in 1966 became uncontrollable turmoil) led to the decision to stop touring. In the ensuing years The Beatles were then free to focus on a series of albums that changed the face of recorded music. Master storyteller and Oscar winner, Ron Howard, explores this incredible journey in his own unique way: How did The Beatles do this? How did they cope with all the fame and pressure? How did they not only survive, but go on to revolutionise popular
Sexy IntellectualThe most successful band to emerge from the Canadian rock explosion of the early 1970s, Rush would go on to become one of that nation's biggest entertainment exports. A trio of musical polymaths who cut a fiercely independent, sometimes controversial path through various musical styles to forge a distinctive, evolving sound that was incomparable to that of any of their contemporaries, this hugely influential group have flourished across a forty-plus year career. This film traces the history of Rush from the bar rooms of Toronto in the late 1960s to the world's largest arenas in the late 70s and early 1980s, by which time they were amongst the biggest bands on the planet. Through a stunning combination of rare and classic footage, the testimony of friends, colleagues and those who worked with the group across the years, plus exclusive and archive interviews and a host of other features, this programme makes the very unique history of Rush come alive in a manner previously undocumented.
Taylor NearyCrowds were moved to ecstasy as the first superstar DJs emerged out of the gay, underground New York City club scene in the '80s. The cult of the DJ and dance music traversed the globe, revolutionizing the dance floor with electrifying sounds, pumping beats and elevating crescendos - inspiring all in its path to dance with unabated joy. Suddenly DJs were playing to crowds in the thousands and finally to over 1.5 million at the infamous Love Parade in Berlin. Liquid Vinyl brings together the DJs, the people behind the scene and the dancers from the floor that all ultimately share in the magic of the music. It's not just about glow sticks and the grinding beat, but a whole culture defined by their love of dance music and an artist that can take a box full of records, mix them together and literally spin the dancer into oblivion.
Aaron AitesUntil The Light Takes Us tells the story of black metal. Part music scene and part cultural uprising, black metal rose to worldwide notoriety in the mid-nineties when a rash of suicides, murders, and church burnings accompanied the explosive artistic growth and output of a music scene that would forever redefine what heavy metal is and what it stands for to other musicians, artists and music fans world-wide. Until The Light Takes Us goes behind the highly sensationalized media reports of "Satanists running amok in Europe" to examine the complex and largely misunderstood principles and beliefs that led to this rebellion against both Christianity and modern culture. To capture this on film, directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell moved to Norway and lived with the musicians for several years, building relationships that allowed them to create a surprisingly intimate portrait of this violent, but ultimately misunderstood, movement. The result is a poignant, moving story that's as much abou
Bill Guttentag & Dan SturmanA fresh and exhilarating take on one of the most important social movements in American history, SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION explores the civil rights struggle through the powerful and stirring songs that inspired a generation. In this deeply moving documentary, legends of the fight for equal rights such as Congressman John Lewis, Julian Bond, Ambassador Andrew Young and Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow, Coretta Scott King, testify to the indispensable role that songs of rebellion and hope played in helping activists fight against brutality and injustice. In riveting studio performances, top contemporary artists including John Legend, Wyclef Jean, The Roots and Joss Stone reinvigorate and reinvent timeless songs like "We Shall Overcome" and "Wade in the Water."
Mat WhitecrossFrom the Oscar winning producers of Amy comes this essential and entertaining look at the meteoric rise of the seminal 90s rock band Oasis. The film immerses us in the raucous rock stars’ fast-paced world of electrifying music, wild debauchery, and epic fraternal feuding, weaving never-before-seen concert footage with candid interviews and an astonishing firsthand account of the backstage sibling rivalry that threatened to destroy the band.
Martin ScorseseAcademy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese and the world's greatest rock n' roll band, The Rolling Stones, unite to bring audiences the year's most extraordinary film event, "Shine a Light." With special appearances by Christina Aguilera, Jack White and Buddy Guy, and four Rolling Stones performances not seen in theaters, Shine a Light is a must-own for rock n' roll fans across generations.
Christine RogersIt probably seems hard to believe, but U2 began as a band of four teenagers whose first rehearsal was in Larry Mullin Jr’s parent’s kitchen, in 1976. Thirty-three years and 170 million album sales later, Ireland’s most famous export is one of the biggest bands in the world, having won more Grammy Awards than any other group, in history! U2 are almost as well known for their philanthropy and charity work as they are for their music. Over twenty years, lead singer Bono has made a name for himself as a tireless worker for social and economic change in Third World Countries, and U2 – A Rock Crusade is the story of the band’s never ending energy, drive and commitment to social causes. It’s the story of a charismatic showman’s efforts to take his influence into politics, in order to affect change for the people who need it most – the poor and disadvantaged. “To use your star power for people who have no power at all has to be a good thing” Bono says. U2 have been very suc
Paul JustmanDetroit, Michigan, 1959. Berry Gordy gathered the best musicians from the city's thriving jazz and blues scene for his new record company: Motown. They called themselves the Funk Brothers, and they were the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. This is their story.
Tony BennettDuets: The Making Of An American Classic goes into the studio for a look at the making of Tony Bennett's acclaimed 2006 album. Bono, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, the Dixie Chicks and others participated in this celebration of a legendary voice.
John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, Chris Stamp, Queenie Johns, Chris Entwistle, The Who & The John Entwistle Band
John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, Chris Stamp, Queenie Johns, Chris Entwistle, The Who & The John Entwistle BandIn 1964, The Who became one of the key figures of the British Invasion, taking the American music scene by storm. While Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend and Keith Moon took the spotlight with their on stage antics, John Entwistle, stood in the shadows poised to become the biggest bass player in rock and roll. In 2002, after years of touring his solo project the John Entwistle Band, Entwistle couldn't resist the lure of bringing back one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history. Tragically, plans for The Who's North American Reunion Tour were cut short when on the eve of the first show John was found dead in his Las Vegas hotel room. "The Ox," as Entwistle was affectionately known, left behind many fans and several unfinished projects. With his passing, the world lost a musical legend, dubbed Guitar Magazine's "Bassist of the Millennium." Narrated by Peter Frampton, John Entwistle: An Ox's Tale covers the life of John Entwistle, from his first public performance at the age of 14 to hi
Steven Cantor & Matthew GalkinIn the history of modern American music there are few bands like the Pixies. Theirs was an unparalleled musical path, influencing countless others despite modest financial success. In 1992, their chief songwriter and vocalist Black Francis announced his intention to quit via a blunt facsimile. That, it seemed, was that. But to the amazement of everyone, the Pixies reunited in 2004. loudQUIETloud is the story of this unforeseen plot twist -- a deeply compelling portrait of four band members and their difficult, tense and ultimately triumphant return. From the first rehearsal to the final bow nearly one year later, the press-shy Pixies granted unprecedented access to award-winning directors Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin. The result is an insider's perspective on the Pixies, their relationships with family, fans and each other, and the combustible dynamic when the four members come together on stage.
Maureen Tusty & James TustyEstonia's coveted position between Europe and Russia has lured wave after wave of occupiers. The nation's darkest chapter, though, dawned in 1939 with the arrival of the Soviets. It seemed this time that the Estonian nation might vanish completely; yet the Estonians waited, and fought, and sang, and ultimately, survived. "The Singing Revolution" narrates the remarkable story of this tiny nation's struggle for independence, illuminating how the Estonians kept their identity alive - even under the oppressive weight of the Iron Curtain - through a rich tradition of song. Here, people have joined voices for centuries, and their Laulupidu (immense song festival) offered glimmers of Estonian culture and connectedness in even the bleakest periods, proving to "The Singing People" that their national spirit still smoldered. When the Soviet nation finally began to crumble in the 1980s, the Estonians saw their opportunity: free speech became song, and song became a soaring anthem of independence.
David BowieDocumentary of the July 3rd, 1973 concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon Theatre and notable for this is the last time David Bowie would perform under the Ziggy Stardust persona.
Julien TempleA shocking portrait of one of the most notorious rock groups of all time. A compelling and insightful look into the world of The Sex Pistols, this film charts their rise from the back streets of '70s London and ultimate implosion while on tour in America.
Robert FantinattoI Dream of Wires is a new documentary about the rise, fall and rebirth of the machine that shaped electronic music: the modular synthesizer. Exploring the synthesizer’s history, the film reveals how innovators like Robert Moog helped build the foundation for the machine. It shows how cheap foreign imports destroyed the synthesizer’s reputation. And it tracks the phenomenal resurgence of high end modular synthesizers being used today by a new generation of musicians, many of them at the forefront of EDM – the electronic dance music genre. Inventors, musicians and enthusiasts talk about their all-consuming passion for the modular synthesizer. Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Gary Numan, Morton Subotnick, Carl Craig and John Foxx show off their systems and give insight into why they are inspired to use this volatile but rewarding technology. A new generation of dance and electronic artists including Clark, James Holden and Factory Floor reveal why they’ve embraced the sound and phy
Foo FightersThe Grammy Award winning chronicling of the triumphs and tragedies of the band's 16 year history, BACK AND FORTH chronicles FOO FIGHTERS entire existence: from Dave Grohl's cassette demos to the band forming to play those songs to their ascent to becoming one of the biggest rock bands on the planet--and every Grammy win and sold out show along the way. FOO FIGHTERS BACK AND FORTH features Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear recalling every stage of the band's existence more candidly and intimately than ever before culminating in a behind the scenes look at the direct-to-analog tape sessions in Grohl's garage that produced the new album, WASTING LIGHT.
Davis GuggenheimRarely can a film penetrate the glamorous surface of rock legends. It Might Get Loud tells the personal stories, in their own words, of three generations of electric guitar virtuosos – The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Jack White (The White Stripes). It reveals how each developed his unique sound and style of playing favorite instruments, guitars both found and invented. Concentrating on the artist's musical rebellion, traveling with him to influential locations, provoking rare discussion as to how and why he writes and plays, this film lets you witness intimate moments and hear new music from each artist. The movie revolves around a day when Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge first met and sat down together to share their stories, teach and play.
Dan Cutforth & Jane LipsitzKaty Perry is living proof that if you just be yourself, you can be anything! Get an inside look into the real Katy Perry and find out how this regular California Girl with big dreams became one of the biggest stars in the world. This “undeniably irresistible” film is your chance to experience Katy Perry’s teenage dream come true* Elizabeth Weitzman, NY DAILY NEWS
Asif KapadiaFrom BAFTA Award-winning director Asif Kapadia (SENNA), AMY tells the incredible story of six-time Grammy-winner Amy Winehouse – in her own words. Featuring extensive unseen archival footage and previously unheard tracks, this strikingly modern, moving and vital film shines a light on the world we live in, in a way that very few can. A once-in-a-generation talent, Amy Winehouse was a musician that captured the world’s attention. A pure jazz artist in the most authentic sense – she wrote and sung from the heart using her musical gifts to analyze her own problems. The combination of her raw honesty and virtuosity resulted in some of the most unique and adored songs of the modern era. But her massive success resulted in relentless and invasive media attention, which coupled with Amy’s troubled relationships and precarious lifestyle, saw her life tragically begin to unravel, resulting in her untimely death in July 2011 at the age of 27.
Andrew Klein"Blood, Frets and Tears" is the revealing and insightful exploration of history’s great and gifted guitar players: the legends we call our Guitar Heroes. Wood, wire and simple electronics. The mind is blown in trying to imagine how these inanimate objects given life in the hands of humble luthiers could result in such a range of divergent musical styles—rock, blues, jazz, country, R&B, soul, bluegrass, classical and more—and create such profound emotions in the listener. From the unsung swing of Charlie Christian's bebop guitar and the transcendent psychedelic rock of Jimi Hendrix, to the majestic fire of Eddie Van Halen, the electric guitar has been a transformative presence in our lives—not only musically but culturally—since its birth over 85 years ago. The world was first brought to its collective knees through the innovations and inventiveness of four extraordinarily gifted Guitar Gods who emerged during the 1960s: Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Tr
Jeff FeuerzeigHis drawings and sketches are exhibited and sold worldwide. Beck, Wilco, Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam have recorded his songs. But beneath Daniel Johnston's success as an artist and musician is an incredible story of genius touched by madness: diagnosed as manic-depressive, Johnston has spent the last three decades of his life in-and-out of mental institutions. Told through a compelling combination of interviews, home movies and performance footage, "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" is 'a harrowing, hilarious and ultimately moving new documentary film' (Jim Farber, New York Daily News). '****' (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News)!
Paul HegemanArvo Pärt is the most performed living composer in the world, but he is considered to be something of a recluse, and his person and work have rarely been documented on film. In this documentary we get to know Arvo Pärt as an artist combining an incredible sensitivity with humor and energy in his work. His reputation stems from his deeply-held belief that it’s not through words that a great artist communicates, but simply through music. Though he may seem reclusive in his person, what he wants to say and what he means is written in notes.
David PalamaroIn Heaven There is No Beer is a documentary about the Los Angeles 'Kiss or Kill' music scene (2002-2007). Fed up with wretched Sunset Strip pay-for-play policies, too-cool-for-school trendiness of the Silverlake scene and apathetic crowds, the bands that made up 'Kiss or Kill' forged their own scene based on great music, cheap booze, low cover and a mid-western sense of community and friendship. At its peak, 'Kiss or Kill' had more than 100 bands on its roster and over 1,000 local L.A. fans. But as 'Kiss or Kill' grew and got more popular, it eventually became the very thing it was fighting against.
Andrew J. KuehnEntertainer extraordinaire Michael Feinstein hosts a brand-new, three-hour documentary on the fascinating evolution of American popular music as told through stories of the some of the greatest songwriters of all time, including Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, George & Ira Gershwin and dozens more. Featuring performances by some of our most legendary entertainers, including Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Al Jolson, The Marx Brothers, Ethel Merman, Mel Torme, and many more.
Guy LoganOctober 30, 2002 - Legendary hip-hop DJ Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, is gunned down in his Queens studio. Security tapes of the incident mysteriously disappear, the five witnesses are uncooperative and no one is talking ... until now. 2 TURNTABLES AND A MICROPHONE documents the investigation of the unsolved murder of Jam Master Jay, RUN- DMC's groundbreaking DJ and producer, deftly revealing the history of hip-hop and mainstream rap along the way. Exclusive, candid interviews with 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, RUN-DMC and more offer insight into Jam Master Jay's life - including information that could finally help police solve the murder that shook the music world to its core.
PhishDriven by a constant need to create, Phish frontman Trey Anastasio takes on new projects, including some of his most personal music to date as well as Phish's ambitious New Year's Eve show at Madison Square Garden.
Richard LowensteinDeftly woven from Michael’s private home movies and those of his lovers, friends, and family, Mystify: Michael Hutchence delves beneath the public persona of the charismatic frontman of chart-topping band INXS and reveals a multifaceted, intensely sensitive and complex man. Michael struggled with the idea of success, the creative limits of pop stardom, and how to express his integrity, a longing that shaped his life and music and gave birth to a desire to go far beyond the constraints of pop. But a violent event struck Michael and changed his life forever, fracturing his sense of self and robbing him of his connection to life, contributing to his untimely end. Features interviews with Kylie Minogue, Bono of U2, and many more.
